SPORTS
A bowl game may not be out of the question for FAU after all.
The Owls’ virtual nonexistent chance of playing a 13th game this season received a major boost on Saturday as not only did they defeat ULL 24-23 at Lockhart Stadium, but perennial Sun Belt powerhouse Troy looked like a team capable of being beat as it lost to FIU, 52-35.
FAU (4-5, 3-3) now has a golden chance to play in its third bowl game in four years should it win two of its remaining three games. Next week’s match at Texas should be the Owls’ most difficult, but games against Middle Tennessee and Troy now appear winnable, especially considering FAU’s recent resurgence.
“We like to keep that thought in the recesses of our mind while we talk about winning the next game,” said head coach Howard Schnellenberger on how his players are looking back at the 2008 Owls team that overcame a 1-5 start to make and win a bowl game.
FAU didn’t win its third straight game simply because of its play, though. The Owls benefitted from a questionable call by Ragin’ Cajuns head coach Rickey Bustle, who decided to go for a game-winning two-point conversion instead of a safer game-tying point-after attempt with 1:45 to play in the game.
On the play, ULL quarterback Blaine Gautier, who made his first collegiate start due to injuries to the top two quarterbacks, rolled left before misfiring with a pass, giving FAU the victory.
Bustle and his players were adamant after the game about the coach’s decision to go for the win instead of overtime. The Owls? They were shocked.
“We were really hyper, that they were going for two,” said safety Marcus Bartels. “It was kind of like a slap in the face to us to try and go for two, so it was fun (to stop them).”
For a third straight game, FAU’s defense came up big when called upon, even without the services of cornerback Tavious Polo, who missed most of the game with an injury picked up in the first half.
Even with the defense continuing to shine, it was the offense that showed marked improvement from last week. The unit not only scored three touchdowns, but there was noticeable improvement at various positions.
The offensive line played well, allowing running back Alfred Morris to rush for 143 yards and a touchdown. Morris also scored on a 16 yard screen pass in the third quarter thanks to a good individual effort as well as a key block from a teammate.
Tight end Rob Housler had a strong outing, too. Housler made three catches for 73 yards, and while all of those came in the first quarter, he looked like a more confident and secure target for quarterback Jeff Van Camp to throw to.
“It’s not the greatest of wins, but we enjoy the Ws,” said Housler of FAU’s third one-point win this season. “Everyone’s pumped.”
That excitement and energy the players are feeling will need to be transformed and shaped to fit the Owls’ next opponent: Texas. The Longhorns are currently stuck in a rut, having lost their last four games by a combined 57 points. Texas also already has six losses this season, and one more would make them ineligible for a bowl game.
Even with the tough season Texas is enduring, it should be able to defeat FAU based on the talent difference alone.
If that’s the case, FAU will need to win its final two games of the season, at Middle Tennessee and vs. a now-beatable Troy, in order to finish at 6-6 and become bowl eligible. Still, the confident Owls will head into Texas aiming for an upset that would surely be among one of the bigger ones this season.
“Obviously it feels better going into any game with a win than with a loss, and we’re going up there to go give our best effort,” said linebacker Michael Lockley. “We’re not going there to just play a game. We’re going there to win.”
That might be aiming a bit too high for a team which has struggled to put forth a complete performance thus far this season, but don’t tell the Owls that. They’re playing every game knowing that becoming bowl-eligible is on the line.
